Senate passes $107 billion overhaul of USPS (postal service), heads to Biden to sign

[SaysWho?]

Senate passes $107 billion USPS overhaul, sending bill to Biden for expected approval - The Washington Post

WWW.WASHINGTONPOST.COM

---

President Biden is expected to sign the Postal Service Reform Act, which is a cornerstone of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s controversial 10-year postal restructuring plan.

 

 

Quote

 

The Postal Service Reform Act, which passed 79 to 19, provides financial flexibility for the mail agency to take on improvements that have been debated for years.
 

...
 

But the Postal Service's role throughout the coronavirus pandemic forced lawmakers to reach a consensus on restructuring its balance sheet, with worries that the agency could not withstand another financial shock. Nearly half of all voters cast their ballots by mail during the 2020 election, and postal workers hauled packages from doorstep to doorstep amid surging e-commerce demand, allowing individuals to purchase essentials remotely and stay home during public health shutdowns.

 

 

And the REALLY important part if you've followed the USPS's struggles through no fault of their own:

 

Quote

 

The Postal Service has endured years of losses triggered by slumping mail volumes and a 2006 bill that required it to annually pre-fund retirees' health-care costs. Declines in mail revenue have forced the agency to default on those health-care payments since 2011.

 

Tuesday's bill gives the agency a significant reprieve, removing $57 billion in past-due postal liabilities and eliminating $50 billion in payments over the next 10 years. It requires future postal retirees to enroll in Medicare, a move that would add minuscule costs to the public health-care system but would save taxpayers $1.5 billion over the next decade.

 

The legislation also codifies new timely-delivery transparency requirements for the Postal Service, which has struggled with on-time service since Postmaster General Louis DeJoy took office in June 2020, and allows the agency to contract with local, state and Indigenous governments to offer basic non-mail services, such as hunting and fishing licenses.

 

 

[b_m_b_m_b_m]

Did the ban on postal banking make it in? From last I saw it was so broad as to prohibit money orders and that would be bad!

[Guest]

1 hour ago, b_m_b_m_b_m said:

Did the ban on postal banking make it in? From last I saw it was so broad as to prohibit money orders and that would be bad!

Postal banking is the sort of idea that is so good of course we won’t do it

[b_m_b_m_b_m]

1 hour ago, sblfilms said:

Postal banking is the sort of idea that is so good of course we won’t do it

Well there was a pilot which was not well thought of from what I’ve read, and a week ago the ranking Banking Committee member, Pat Toomey, submitted an amendment to the bill that would ban postal banking (because he’s 100% bought and paid for by the banking industry) and I don’t see the status of that anywhere with a quick google search. 

[TwinIon]

Unfortunately it seems like they won't even be moving towards electric. Vice has a good article on the reasons.

[CitizenVectron]

1 minute ago, TwinIon said:

Unfortunately it seems like they won't even be moving towards electric. Vice has a good article on the reasons.

 

The reason is that the Republicans view EVs as part of the culture war and want to burn more gasoline to own the libs. It's not any more complicated than that.

[b_m_b_m_b_m]

24 minutes ago, CitizenVectron said:

 

The reason is that the Republicans view EVs as part of the culture war and want to burn more gasoline to own the libs. It's not any more complicated than that.

It’s more than that. Carbon emissions are central and essential to the Republican/conservative identities. 

[thewhyteboar]

5 hours ago, b_m_b_m_b_m said:

It’s more than that. Carbon emissions are central and essential to the Republican/conservative identities. 

Can't get an erection and harass my secretary unless I'm rolling coal.